


Plenty of Pressure, Good Hair

by deliriumbubbles



Category: Glee
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-21
Updated: 2016-08-21
Packaged: 2018-08-10 04:41:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7830712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deliriumbubbles/pseuds/deliriumbubbles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While trying to make the sign-up sheet for his senior project visible, Adam takes a moment to reflect on the only name signed up for The Apples this year. That’s when he hears a voice from behind, telling him it’s “super fun.”</p>
<p>AU Season Four Post- The Quarterback. Kurt didn’t let Rachel and Santana take over his band, and he didn’t get a tattoo while drunk.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Plenty of Pressure, Good Hair

Adam scanned over the bulletin board in the common area. He’d put up a sign-up sheet here for his senior project… but apparently people weren’t so hard up as to sign on for post-apoc Geek Theater. Or at least, not from Adam Crawford. There were three other flyers pinned up on top of his sign-up sheet.

Not that bowling night, the spring performance of Too Damn Hot (the men’s acapella choir), and the campus Baptist prayer group weren’t important, but it would’ve been nice if they’d cleared away some expired flyers instead of covering up Adam’s.

Adam sifted through the layered mess, moving a few to the side and repositioned his flyer so it could be seen. With a moment’s hesitation, Adam removed the Apples flyer. No one would be signing up this late in the semester.

There was only one name on it, anyway.

“That’s NYADA’s premier show choir,” a voice drawled behind Adam. “You should join.”

Adam turned in surprise.

“I hear it’s super fun.”

Adam blinked for a moment, staring at the tall, lean man smiling at him. For a second, his eyes were drawn to the man’s hair. The sides were close-cropped, and the top rose up like multicolored plumage in chestnut, red, and gold.

“Sorry. I’ll leave you alone. I just couldn’t resist.”

“Kurt, no.” Adam lifted his hand. “Wait.”

Kurt crossed his arms over the strap of his messenger bag and smiled lopsidedly.

Adam found himself speechless. Kurt was gorgeous, of course. He was always gorgeous. But his hair, his outfit… He was wearing a pair of insanely tight black pants with a cluster of safety pins running up the outside of each leg. His shirt was a distressed denim button up, with red and white stripes on one shoulder, and black embroidered crosses on the other. The sleeves were rolled up snugly over his biceps, and his strong, delicate hands were accented by black lace gloves, with the fingers cut out. Not to mention some expertly applied eyeliner.

Kurt was no stranger to fashion innovation, but the combined effect was just so… He looked like a different person. Adam didn’t know what to say.

“Waiting,” Kurt teased. “How’ve you been?”

“Um. Okay, I suppose. I could be making more progress, faster, but Dr. Koehler and the rest of my committee have approved of my script.” Adam wobbled one hand from side to side. Then, he smiled and continued jauntily. “Plus, there will be a new batch of freshmen making poor life choices next semester. So I should be able to launch this and graduate not… _too_ late.”

Kurt nodded and his plumage bobbed along with him. “I’m glad. You deserve good things.”

“What about you? You’ve… Gotten a part?” Adam prodded.

Kurt shook his head. “I’ve gone out for a lot of parts this semester, but nothing so far. And I kind of took a break for a while. I really just need to focus on surviving this semester. It seems not to be a given.”

“The first semester here can be very tough!” Adam agreed.

“Yeah.” Kurt reached over, took the Apples flyer from Adam’s hand, and looked at his own signature. “Aww. Sad. How are they?”

“Having fun. I’d hoped we’d get to the point of a public performance this year, but since I’ll be lingering around, I can keep working with them until I find a replacement.” Adam felt extremely uncomfortable. Should he ask about the hair again, or…?

He then wondered if Kurt had made any other friends since leaving the Apples and felt a pang of guilt. He hadn’t _explicitly_ forced Kurt out of the club, but the situation had been very uncomfortable, and he’d suspected that a few of the Apples hadn’t helped matters.

“You could keep it,” Adam suggested.

“Nah. I have one of the flyers we posted around campus at my loft.” Kurt handed it back to Adam. “You should keep it. That signature will be worth something one day.”

Adam chuckled. Kurt walked past Adam and pinned his own flyer on the board.

PAMELA LANSBURY

EXCITING NEW COVER BAND

LOOKING FOR BAND MEMBERS, GUITAR, DRUMS

STRONG VOCALS A PLUS, ORIGINAL LYRICS CONSIDERED

Beneath the main text were silhouetted figures and the names of what Adam recognized to be some of Kurt’s favorite bands.

“You’re starting a band?” Adam thought he shouldn’t be so surprised, what with Kurt’s new look.

“Yeah. Y’know, I just need to shake things up. I need some kind of _change_ in my life.” He lifted his hand to his mouth and rubbed his fingers over his lips. Adam noticed that Kurt was wearing a ring with an infinity symbol and a few rainbow stripes… but _not_ his engagement ring.

“Anyway, lemme know if you hear of any drummers who would be interested. I play the piano, and I’ve been learning drums, but I’m not there yet.” Kurt shrugged. “I seem to have inherited a drum set.”

“Inherited? From who?”

Kurt licked his lips. “From my brother.”

“Oh. Did he get a new set?”

“No.” Kurt sighed and then forced a smile. “I have to get going. I have a paper to make up in Dramatic Histories.” He accented the course title with jazz hands.

No? Adam frowned, thinking about what Kurt had said. Then it dawned on him. The realization was like a hammer to the chest, and Adam could only imagine what Kurt was feeling.

“I’m so sorry,” Adam said breathlessly, just as Kurt had turned away.

Kurt paused. “Thanks.”

“I’ll… Kurt, do you want to go get coffee sometime? I never meant to shut you out the way I did.”

Kurt turned back and shifted the strap of his bag. “Of course, you did. I lost my freakin’ mind. And I wasn’t exactly a happy, healthy, open guy to be with before that all happened.”

“I was only… I was just upset, because-“

“Because you were waiting for me. It wasn’t written and signed, but I think we both knew we were going to try again. And then I suddenly got back together with my ex, plus potential matrimony.” Kurt pursed his lips. “He’s been an asshole. I sent him back the ring. I would say I don’t know what possessed me, but I do, and it was my father, currently in remission for _prostate cancer_ , telling me how _short_ life is.”

Adam’s jaw dropped. How had they never gotten around to discussing that Kurt’s father had cancer? He’d known something was bothering Kurt, something beyond the roommate stress and the ex-boyfriend stress, but…

“That and Blaine had the entire tri-city area there for the proposal.” Kurt spread his hand. “That, _plus_ the aforementioned _losing of my mind_ … You made a good call. I wanted so badly to be _beyond_ all my crap, but… It’s like Cristina says on Grey’s Anatomy: Being aware of your crap and being over your crap are not the same thing.” He seemed to deflate slightly. “I’m not there yet.”

“So, is the band…?”  
  


Kurt scowled and sucked in his cheeks. “Is it what? I just need a group to sing with. The Apples are out—that’s my own fault—and I’ve looked at the other two options I have for show choirs on campus, and I’m not interested in doing acapella these days.”

Kurt pulled his lips to the side. “You wanted to find a way to ask about the hair?”

“I trying to find a polite way.”

“Does it look bad? I swear this isn’t just part of my extended breakdown. I just…” Kurt let out a distressed laugh. “I always wanted to do something like this with my hair. Just, something wild. And I always wanted to start a band. I just… I wanted _Finn_ to be our drummer.”

Kurt hugged his arms. “But he wanted to stay in Lima. Or rather, he wanted to join the stupid army, first, and then _shot_ himself. Then, he couldn’t do the army _or_ sports. Then he just _had_ to take over for Mr. Schue. I mean, we only _saved_ that man’s job last year. It would be a shame if he had to, you know, _do it_! Or _support_ one of the students who had his back from day one and help Finn get out of that _damn_ town.”

Kurt dabbed the corner of his eye and drew in a deep breath.

Adam took a step toward Kurt and touched his shoulder. “I love the hair. It’s very daring.”

Kurt sniffed. “Thank you.”

“You remind me of a peacock.”

Kurt laughed. “That’s actually the stylist said!”

“I’m no drummer, but maybe you could spare a moment for me anyway?” Adam tilted his head to the side. “I’ve missed you.”

“I… Yes. I mean, I have to write this paper first, but yeah. Let’s get coffee.” Kurt paused and made a motion to push hair that was no longer there behind his ear. He looked up, slightly, then patted the short side of his hair. “Not used to it.”

“Honestly, Kurt, I think you would look good with blond hair, or pink, or green. Or none.”

“Don’t joke about baldness to a Hummel. You’ve seen pictures of my dad on Facebook.”

Adam chuckled and bit his lower lip.

“So, um, our place? The coffee shop across from campus?” Kurt suggested.

“Absolutely.” Adam held his hands up. “No pressure.”

“Plenty of pressure. But good hair.” Kurt reached over and ran his hand through Adam’s curls.

Adam held very still. He wasn’t sure he could be just friends with Kurt Hummel. He was like a shooting star blazing through Adam’s life. He lit up everything, but he came along with so much wreckage, and there was nothing Adam could really do to help.

But he could give Kurt a better class of friends. He could be there for Kurt.

Kurt sucked in his lower lip as he looked at Adam. Then he turned toward Adam’s flyer and pulled out a pen to sign up.

“Feel free to not give me a part for having a style the clashes with your Vision,” Kurt breezed. “Anyway, having a Midnight Madness winner on your list will probably draw in a few people. You can at least get _started_ on casting before summer hits.”

“That’s… That’s generous.”

“Let’s see if it works, first. Not that I wouldn’t love to be in your project.” Kurt stopped himself and moved a gloved hand over his mouth as though to hush himself. “Coffee tomorrow?”

“Ah! Yes!”

Kurt nodded, said his goodbye, and then hurried in the direction of the library, the top of his hair bouncing along with him. Adam watched Kurt until he was out of sight. There was something interesting about how Kurt reinvented himself, how he kept going regardless of how hard this year had been on him. So much stress and so much loss. There had to be a way for Adam to support Kurt while protecting himself.

Adam turned to look back at his sheet on the wall. No one was standing there, but there was already a second name written under Kurt’s.


End file.
